


Rose Coloured.

by suckerloveisheavensent



Category: Placebo (UK Band)
Genre: Angst, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Some Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 18:07:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15868953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suckerloveisheavensent/pseuds/suckerloveisheavensent
Summary: “Hey man, we all can’t be like you.”





	Rose Coloured.

Brian’s optimism often irked Stef. 

He didn’t have a short fuse anymore like he did in his youth, and things didn’t eat at Brian the way they still ate at Stefan. Stef both loved it and hated it, the older man’s newfound sense of peace he had found in his forties. He couldn’t lie though. Stef wasn’t that easily irritated either. But even when things were bad and rage was an understandable emotion, still Brian was the perfect picture of tranquille. Brian was also always happy. He was an early riser now, which was quite unlike him in the past, but now Stef was always awoken by the sounds of coffee percolating and Brian’s soft singing. Those mornings he appreciated. Brian’s inability to handle infuriating situations however, Stef did not care for.

It started when they went to try out a new coffee shop. It was a Sunday morning ritual of theirs whenever they were off tour. Brian would look up nearby places, rattling off names until they picked one that sounds nice. The shop had a 3.5 star rating, but that did not deter Brian, who told Stef to be more “open-minded”, and just “give them a try”. They walked in holding hands, as they did most places, and nothing looked out of the ordinary. It was a dull establishment, no sort of decor to suggest they were even really a coffee shop. Stef was hesitant to enter places that didn’t have any sort of Safe Space sign in the window or at the very least a rainbow sticker, to signify that LGBTQ+ individuals were welcome. Most places in London had a welcoming environment, but this environment lacked it. He gave it a try for Brian however, who gave Stef’s hand a gentle squeeze. They approached the counter, where a disinterested college student stood leaning against the tabletop, arms crossed. She barely made an effort to say hello, which didn’t affect Stef as he scanned the chalkboard menu above the young woman’s head. Brian squinted behind his sunglasses, refusing to wear his prescription glasses outside the house out of fear of officially looking “old”. He simply decided on iced coffee and Stef got a latte. Their hands only unclasped when Stef paid, Brian reaching for his cool touch the moment Stef pocketed his change. The younger man wasn’t big on public displays of affection, but Brian was, so they found a happy medium with each other decades ago. When they received their drinks, the couple found a table in the back to sit. There weren’t many people there, since it was fairly early in the day, just a man on his phone snapping a photo of his aesthetically pleasing drink and an elderly woman. Stefan noticed her scowl at them as they walked by, and if Brian noticed, he showed no signs. Brian took off his sunglasses when they sat, a dark violet shade of glitter covering his lids. The cerulean eyes peering up at Stef were kind, Brian seeming to emanate a post-coital glow as the couple had had sex earlier in the morning, before the sun had even begun to rise. 

“Do you like it here?” Brian asked quietly, taking a sip from his iced coffee. He made a face that could only suggest it wasn’t sweet enough for his liking and Stef silently slid the sugar container over to him. “Not particularly,” he answered honestly. “I get the feeling that we’re not welcome here.” Stefan looked over to the counter, where the elderly woman was gesturing wildly to the disinterested college girl, pointing in their direction. Brian flicked the baggie of artificial sweetener the way he used to flick dime bags and shrugged. “If someone has an issue with us simply existing and having a coffee then that’s their problem,” Brian stated simply, as he always did with things that seemed too complex for simplicity. Sometimes Stef wanted to pick Brian’s brain, discover the exact time and date he had become so lax. Stef silently watched Brian adds sugar to his drink, stirring it and occasionally sipping until it was deemed suitable for him. The manager of the store had appeared now, they always had the same look to them, and he was having a chat with the elderly woman in question. Stef felt sick to his stomach. “We should go,” he said suddenly, and Brian looked up at him. He scanned Stef’s face for a moment before letting out a small sigh. “I’m not leaving until someone tells us to leave.” Brian reached for Stef’s hand across the table and Stef resigned, letting Brian soothe him with the gentle swipe of his thumb against his wrist. 

Stef closed his eyes for a moment, trying to swallow down the rush of anxiety flooding him. When he opened them, the manager was standing behind Brian, brows furrowed and face screwed up in disgust. Brian, being ever the envelope-pusher, looked up at the man. “Is there a problem?” Brian challenged passively, further infuriating the man. He looked at the couple’s interlocked hands. “We don’t allow that in this establishment,” he sneered, removing his arms from their crossed stance to gesture at their hands before crossing them again. “You mean you don’t allow it or she doesn’t,” Stef questioned, eyeing the elderly woman with contempt. His jaw tensed. “I mean we. I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the man started, motioning to put a hand on Brian’s chair, but Stef was on his feet before he could touch him. Stef towered over him easily, the man only a few inches taller than Brian, and he glared down at him coldly. “Touch him and I break your fucking hand.” Brian moved to step in between the two, the flicker of fear in the manager’s face undeniable. He pressed a gentle hand to Stef’s chest, on his toes trying to get the taller man to look at him. “Stef please, let’s go,” Brian pleaded, the fragile tone in his voice making Stefan relax slightly. The manager, however was hellbent on digging his own grave however. “You better listen to it,” the man added with a laugh, referring to Brian’s androgynous appearance. Stef had the lid off his latte in seconds, the contents still hot enough to burn. “No no no Stef please! Listen to me,” Brian begged, holding back Stef as the manager’s smile fell, replaced with fear. Stefan was filled to the brim with rage, to where it filled every nerve and every fiber. But he knew he couldn’t retaliate. Any act of aggression would put Brian in the crossfire and even in his angered state he put him first. Stef stuck his arm out, dropping the cup on the floor, the splashback hitting his jeans. He took Brian’s hand, guiding him out of the shop before he had a chance to go back and attack. Stef kept walking, Brian barely keeping up with him. He wasn’t sure how many blocks they had gone until Brian finally pulled back, releasing his grip from him. Brian looked up at him as if his entire reaction were unjustified, and the rage inside Stef hit a boiling point. 

“How can you be so fucking CALM?” He erupted, hands gesturing wildly. “I’m fucking furious right now and all you could do was stand in my way of beating that prick’s ass!” Brian looked as if Stef had slapped him. “You don’t think I’m upset? I’m hurt Stefan, I’m embarrassed, I’m pissed I couldn’t just have a peaceful morning with my husband, but I’m not going to let them ruin it!”

“If you’re so upset then why don’t you show it? Why don’t you ever show it?!”

“Because these things happen less now!” Brian choked out a sob and Stef instantly felt guilty. “Before, we couldn’t even get through the door without someone stopping us! I used to get my ass handed to me in alleyways, thrown up against the brick until my ribs broke! But the world is changing now Stefan! What we just saw is becoming less and less frequent and I’m happy for it!” Brian was hyperventilating, and Stef gently reached out his hand to him. The older man immediately ran into his arms, squeezing Stef tightly and crying against his coat. When he was able to compose himself, Brian looked up at Stef, nose red and eyes watery. “How could I ever be angry when I have you?” He asked gently and Stef finally understood.

For years they spent fighting each other, other people, themselves. Brian was always so resentful of everything, such a pessimist at heart. But they grew older, and Brian went to therapy more. He learned to control his anger better than Stef could and perhaps that was why they were so perfect for each other. Brian balanced him out. He was always going to be his voice of reason, just like Stef was for him for so many years. Brian’s love for Stef was stronger than his rage. The younger man was taken aback, overwhelmed in the feelings flooding through him. He just held Brian for a few moments, as people walked by and moved on about their daily lives.  
Stef looked down at Brian, his anger quelled. “I’m so lucky to have you,” he said gently and Brian looked shocked. Stef wasn’t a particularly affectionate person. Over the years, he and Brian had developed an unspoken connection that didn’t require much to be said. The gesture was more than enough for the older man, who started crying again, laughing at his own emotions. “You fucker I’ve cried off my mascara,” Brian joked, rubbing at his eyes. 

The two had resumed walking, Brian still holding onto Stef’s side and Stef hugging Brian’s shoulder. “Do you wanna go somewhere else?” Stef asked and Brian snorted. “Fuck no, that’s enough excitement for this old man today. Let’s go home and rent a movie.” Stef nodded and they continued towards the train station, the same one that reunited them decades ago.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the song “Rose Coloured Boy” by Paramore.


End file.
